Presentación

The broadcast pathway of this course will equip you with all the practical and intellectual skills you need to work as a multi-platform journalist, at the same time allowing you gain a deeper grounding in the abilities of broadcast journalism. All students learn the basic skills of audio, video and digital reporting. The course has a very practical focus, so you are expected to develop story ideas and gather your own material through research and reporting for journalistic course work. You will be given full training in using our up-to-date media resources, ensuring that you graduate from the course as a multi-skilled journalist being competent in digital and broadcast journalism. Both the MA and the Postgraduate Diploma can be taken as a part-time course (daytime) over two years studying two days a week.

The PG Diploma and MA have been accredited by the Broadcast Journalism Training Council (BJTC) which means we provide industry backed journalism training for online, TV & radio. The organisation accredits a number of British journalism courses, providing the syllabus meets their requirements. Our students regularly win BJTC awards, and the course has been awarded the BJTC award for excellence in teaching.

The University of Westminster itself is designated a Skillset Media Academy, Skillset being the UK skills body for the Creative Industries ensuring excellence and quality for education and skills training in television and interactive media.

Our teaching staff are highly experienced journalism professionals, and our graduates go on to work with a variety of leading media organisations including BBC TV and Radio, BBC News Online, ITN, Russia Today, Al Jazeera, the Financial Times and The Guardian, Conde Nast, and many other media houses in Britain and around the world.

Requisitos

You should hold a good first degree equivalent to a UK Upper Second Class Honours. Ideally you should have some journalism work experience, whether a short placement or more extensive professional experience. You will also need a good understanding of the media and current affairs. Unless a large part of your education has been in English, you are expected to have an IELTS score of 7.0 overall with 7.0 in writing and speaking.

Within the UKPASS application we require two short assignments; the first should explain why you have decided on a career in journalism (250 words maximum). This is different from the Personal Statement where you explain why you wish to pursue the course. The second assignment is an analysis of how a recent international or UK news story was covered across a variety of media (300 words maximum).

Programa

Core modules

CORE MODULES - SEMESTER ONE:
Documentary Skills: allows you to develop advanced audio and video production and reporting techniques leading to the production of a short TV documentary, plus a radio feature and documentary.

Multimedia Journalism Skills: Part theory, part digital practice, this module teaches students to understand and apply the concepts and techniques underpinning contemporary journalism in a digital environment.

Issues in journalism: You will gain an in-depth working knowledge of media law, explore the relationship between UK public institutions, and evaluate the ethical considerations which are of key concern to journalists.

CORE MODULE - SEMESTER TWO:
Digital Journalism: Developing digital reporting and storytelling techniques for news and long form pieces, be responsible for an editorial project with output for desktop, mobile and social media and understand how to create an audience.

OPTIONAL MODULES - SEMESTER TWO:
* Investigative Journalism: exploring the history, theory and practice of investigative journalism in different parts of the world, as well as carrying out your own investigation.

* Travel Journalism: developing the special skills and techniques of travel writing, and as well as gaining an understanding of how to liaise with and report on the travel industry.

* Online Journalism: teaching in-depth knowledge of digital tools to build and design digital content, and encouraging students to develop an entrepreneurial view.

* Sociology of News: A critical study of the news media in the context of current society; it examines different aspects of how news is created, disseminated and consumed.

* Specialist Journalism: You can explore in depth the role of the specialist correspondent, and develop specialist reporting techniques to provide a number of multi-platform pieces of journalism. Currently we are offering two choices depending on demand: Sports and Health and Medical Journalism. Depending on demand, we create more options; n the past, we offered lifestyle, environmental and business journalism.

Final Projects (MA only)

These are all individual projects:

Final Radio or Video Documentary Project: Researching, compiling and presenting your own investigative thirty minute radio documentary, or twelve minute film, and providing an accompanying critical analysis.

Final Journalism Project: For this project you will produce to a professional standard a themed series of articles in a publishable format, including the use of multimedia techniques.

Salidas profesionales

Though designed to prepare you for a career in journalism, this course could also lead to a career in public relations, communications, or any other professional pathway which requires effective communication skills, and the use of convergent media.